Let's show appreciation and gratitude towards each other's contributions on the board.
- Manlobbi
Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
No. of Recommendations: 2
And this is from a European paper!
https://brusselssignal.eu/2025/04/eu-is-no-match-f...EU is no match for China or US, Europe can only play for time
In hindsight, what makes the 1990s appear to be worthy of nostalgia is the fact that almost everything ran on autopilot. European integration hummed along with Austria, Sweden, and Finland joining the European Union in 1995, turning a club of 12 into a club of 15. The former countries of the Warsaw Pact were cleaning up what remained of their communist legacy and embarked on a period of economic growth, refuting all the nay-sayers who claimed that it would take decades for Poland, Hungary, et al. to successfully evolve into capitalist-democratic systems. ... German engineering, Finnish cell phones (Nokia), French Art, Austrian Energy Drinks (Red Bull) – only doom-mongers would claim that the EU was on a path of decline.
The dominant ideology of the time was embodied by the Washington Consensus and neoclassical economics, with the latter being the academic justification of the former: All that was needed for peace and prosperity were open markets and capital inflows, with everything else taking care of itself. Hmm. In addition to outsourcing all of their national defense to America:
There were, of course, some signs that thunderclouds have already been gathering as soon as the mid-1990s. European right-wing parties like the Austrian Freedom Party rose in prominence due to their worries about mass migration, and US presidential candidate Pat Buchanan warned that trade deals with China will hurt American workers. *Paging Jedi on Pat B* :)
And here's the crux:
While polemics are funny – which is why I engage in them regularly myself – they cannot replace the reality of uneven power distributions in the world. The European model of being protected by the US, produce in China, and get petroleum from Russia has reached its sell-by date.In other words, the Euros need to discover the magical world of self-reliance, and pretty damn quick.
Brussels is sitting at a chess table and forgot how to play: the empty talk about strategic autonomy is laughable coming from a continent that has neither military, economic nor energy autonomy.A-yup. When you don't make the basics, you're dependent on those that do. It's that simple.
No. of Recommendations: 2
A more independent Europe would need 180 degree turnarounds in everything from its social to its energy policies, rebuilding industries, and taping into domestic resources. This would mean the end of fracking bans, streamlining and fast-tracking mining projects, building out nuclear power, reforming (i.e. scaling back) the welfare state, reducing bureaucracy and ending the ongoing identity crisis caused by mass migration.
Until this happens, and there are no signs that it ever will, Europe has to play for time: Under current conditions, the EU is no match for China or the US, and building up geopolitical muscle will take years, if not decades.
Prognosis? Pain.
No. of Recommendations: 6
not exactly a main stream source of news , far from it !!... and interestingly promoting US style solutions from the right wing... I lived in Brussels for years. I have many friend there, so ...I know it when I see it...suggest you find better sources...if you need help I will translate the french diutch and german for you...
No. of Recommendations: 2
not exactly a main stream source of news , far from it !!... and interestingly promoting US style solutions from the right wing... I lived in Brussels for years. I have many friend there, so ...I know it when I see it...suggest you find better sources...if you need help I will translate the french diutch and german for you...
Not even addressing what he's saying? Sad.
He's stating facts:
-Europe has gutted energy production. They're buying energy from Russia all the while talking about sanctioning Putin. Don't you find that to be a bit weird?
-Europe has gutted a lot of their heavy industry. The Brits are down to one virgin steel plant and 2 of its 4 blast furnaces run. That's it.
-Europe has underfunded its defense capabilities. The Germans announced they were going to deploy troops in the Baltic States for the first time since WWII to deter Russia. The timeframe? 2027. That's how capable they are of just sending a couple of platoons of dudes someplace.
No, Europe has the card of economic consumption to play and not much else.
No. of Recommendations: 1
As someone who truly wants to see Europe get what it deserves ----- one thing I worry.
While they have a host of lol deserved problems, I wonder if WE are neglecting our human capital a bit, while THEY are valuing and investing in their human capital.
I love stopping Woke. But I worry we lose the edge on research, discoveries
I love the deportation of true illegal aliens ---heck I'd even put in mass assimilation requirements. BUT I don't like the harassment of legal residents, citizens, and people with legit visas. I wonder if we might lose a few smarties, when in our shit culture - man we need well disciplined, and studious people to pick US as home, not France or Germany or New Zealand or Canada. Let those countries have Sheeple's Religion of Peace Scouts, and from Sweden to Paris they should be treated to the 'finest' of that cohort. I want the productive ones and if I were a productive one broad, IF other economies actively offered me opportunities -- I'd seriously consider a place where shit culture doesn't have everyone angry, desperate, in a hurry, and shooting at each other.
The Trailer Park and Ghetto were already punching over their weight in American demography and culture.
I worry in a generation, the productivity and innovation might be more in other places, versus America.
My only hope is that Europe, doesn't kick their people in the ass, lower taxes and regulation...pretty much I don't want Europe to go Thatcher or Reagan. IF they do, and we keep going full Trailer Trash and Full on Ignorance----the next few decades will suck a bit more.
No. of Recommendations: 2
While they have a host of lol deserved problems, I wonder if WE are neglecting our human capital a bit, while THEY are valuing and investing in their human capital.
Are they? We're running off the Hamasniks and other Underwater Basket Weaving majors who are merely here to protest and bang undergrads at places like Haaahvad and Columbia. Hardly America's seed corn in terms of scientists and engineers.
Meanwhile in Europe they're importing people who have zero interest in assimilating into European culture and in fact get quite testy when you ask. And oh, yeah - instead of working the average British taxpayer will support them for decades...
No. of Recommendations: 6
While they have a host of lol deserved problems, I wonder if WE are neglecting our human capital a bit, while THEY are valuing and investing in their human capital.
I love stopping Woke. But I worry we lose the edge on research, discoveries
Absolutely that is what will happen if we keep down the road we're heading. Ever hear of "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"? That is virtually everything the Trump administration does.
With the defunding of research and education, we will get a dumber America that will fall behind the rest of the world, that we used to be in front of. That seems to be an intentional plan of this administration--not that they necessarily want to fall behind, but that they don't want to fund the things that keep us in front.
On the other hand, we might get Trump University back. For whatever that's worth.
